Automatic fire-alarm, also applicable to sprinklers.



PATENTED'NOV. 27, 1906.

AUTOMATIC FIRE ALARM, ALSO APPLICABLE TO SPRINKLERS.

- APPLICATION mien r2123. 1906.

rm: NORRIS P1Ens cm, WASHINGfON. n c

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

JAMES FIDDES AND JOHN FORDYOE WATT, OF ABERDEEN, SCOTLAND.

AUTOMATIC FIRE-ALARM, ALSO APPLICABLE TO SPRINKLERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 27, 1906.

Application filed February 23, 1906- Serial No. 302,563.

i To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, JAMES FIDDEs and J OHN FORDYGE WATT, subjects ofthe King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, andresidents of Aberdeen, in the county of Aberdeen, Scotland, haveinvented certain new and useful Im rovements in Automatic Fire-Alarms,also pplicable to Sprinklers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic fire-alarms actuatedby the expansion of a metal wire, the saidimprovements being alsoapplicable to sprinklers of the ex pansion type.

In the specification of Letters Patent No. 788,199 is described theapplication to fire alarm apparatus of equalizing-plates to which areattached the ends of the expanding wires.

In order now to increase the sensitivity of the apparatus and to permitthe use of shorter detectorlates, there is employed under the presentmvention a double arrangement of wires, affording an increased leverage,without, however, complicating the construction of the apparatus.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whichFigure 1 is a side elevation showing the application of two wires, oneof which sup orts the weighted lever, while the obj ect o the other wireis to increase the expansion effect. Figs. 2 and 3 are side andsectional end elevations respectively, of a modified construction, Fig.3 being to a larger scale. Figs. 4 and 5 are like views to Figs. 2 and 3and illustrate a further modification.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 1, near one end of the equalizing ordetector plate a is pivoted a rod 1;, and at the other end of the plateare secured hooks a. Two copper or like wires (1 d connect the hooks andthe ends of said rod, the fulcrum b of which rod may be located nearerone end than the other.

The weighted lever e is supported by the Wire d, and on its releasefractures a frangible tube f, closing the outlet for air or fluid underpressure as. for instance, described in the specification aforesaid.

On normal rise of temperature the plate and wiresd d expand more or lessequally; but on sudden rise of temperature the wires instantly dilate,and as the weighted lever e pulls on one wire (1 only the rod 6 isturned on its fulcrum I), thus lessening the distance between the endsof said Wire (1, which thus sags very considerably at its center, so asto release the lever e to actuate the alarm. The wire 01, which does notsupport the lever, may, if desired, be more or ess rigid. Alternativelythe wires may be secured at both ends to pivoted rods, or a single Wirehaving its ends connected to the extremities of one such rod and doubledaround a guiding-support at the other end of the plate might be used.

In the construction shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the wires d d are arrangedone in front of the other and are connected to (by solder or the like)or bear on different points of the pin p, supporting the weighted lever6. With this arrangement the outer wire d tends to raise the outer endof the pin 19, and the inner wire 01 tends to depress the inner end ofsaid pin 10 against a stop. On sudden expansion of the wires the pin 29is tilted and the lever 6 released. The stop referred to is afforded bya rigid arm h,- Figs. 3 and 5, havinga point or sharp edge bearingagainst said pin, so as to prevent the same from rising, and serving asa fulcrum, on which said pin can easily tilt.

In the construction shown in Figs. 4 and 5 the wires (1 d are arrangedto cross one another and are connected to the ends of a tube or rod (1the ends of the tube thereafter having connected to them a single lengthof Wire (1 which has attached to it the pin 19 for supporting theweighted lever e.

If desired, a single continuous length of wire arranged in zigzagfashion may be used in conjunction with the tube or rod d It will beevident that the above-described arrangements are equally applicable foroperating an electrical alarm or for operating the sprinkler-actuatinglever of a fire-extinguishing system such as described in thespecifications of Letters Patent Nos. 786,491 and 7 84,669, or a leverforming a member of both an alarm and a fire-extinguishing system.

The arrangement when applied to a fireextinguishing system differs inprinciple from the apparatus described in the specification of LettersPatent N o. 804 ,305, wherein a wire is led around pulleys and onexpansion lowers a weight an amount equal to the expansion of the wire.According to the present invention a very slight dilation of the wiregives a very considerable sag at the center from which the weight issupported, and this mechanical advantage is further multiplied by virtueof the double arrangement of wires, as will be understood.

Having now descrlbed our mvention, what We claim, and desire to secureby LettersPatentvof the United States, -is

1. The combination with a metallic plate of arod pivoted at oneend ofsaid plate, a pair tallic plate a, the rod 1) pivoted to said plate,

of Wires each having one end connected to one end of said rod and theother end connected to the opposite end of said plate, a Weighted lever,and a pin detachably supporting said lever from one of said Wires andarranged -to automatically release said" lever on undue rise oftemperature, substantially as described.

2. The combination With a metallic plate of a'rod pivoted at one end ofsaid plate, the

fulcrum of said rod being nearer one end than theother, a pair of Wireseachhaving one end connected to one end of said rod and the other'endconnected to the opposite end of a said plate, a Weighted leverdetachably supported from one of said Wires, and a frangible devicearranged to be-fractured on undue rise of temperature, substantially asdescribed.

3. ln afire-alarm, in combination, the mehooks c at the opposite end ofsaid plate, the Wires d (1 each having one end connected to said rodband the other end connected to one of said hooks, and the Weightedlever e deitachably supported by said Wire d, substantiallyas-described.

Intestimony whereof We have signed our names to thisspecification in thepresenceof two subscribing Witnesses.

' JAMES FIDDESV.

JOHN FORDY'CE' WATTZT Witnesses WALLACE. FAIRWEATHER, I JOHNARMSTRONG,JU.1'1I-."

